


CLOCK TOWER: The First Fear

by 0MissNoire0



Series: CLOCK TOWER [1]
Category: Clock Tower (Video Game 1995)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Blood and Gore, Canonical Character Death, Character Development, F/F, I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Relationships, Lesbian Character, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, No Smut, Non-Canon Relationship, Other, Please Don't Kill Me, Sad Ending, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 08:39:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4699460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0MissNoire0/pseuds/0MissNoire0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In September of 1995, Jennifer Simpson, who is still struggling over the loss of her parents, and her friends were adopted from an orphanage and taken to a large mansion in the middle of the woods, also known as The Clock Tower. When their caretaker takes too long and Jennifer goes to investigate, she returns to find her friends missing. As she searches the dark and mysterious place, she finds herself becoming a target of a horrifically deformed child with a large pair of scissors, and she soon learns that maybe her new family aren't as innocent as they seem.</p><p>A fan novelization of the 1995 SNES game, Clock Tower.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> CLOCK TOWER: THE FIRST FEAR
> 
> WRITTEN BY AMANDA SCHOOLEY
> 
> DISCLAIMER: This is a FAN NOVELIZATION based around the 1995 SNES game of the same name, therefore this is NOT official in any way. The characters, locations, and situations present in this story all belong to Hifumi Kono and Human Entertainment. I own nothing. 
> 
>  
> 
> "Alone. Yes, that's the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym."  
> ― Stephan King

The flashing of police lights and the sirens of ambulances filled the air of the large, thick woods of England. Inside the woods lay both tragedy and horror. The large, dark mansion with the tall, hollow clock tower used to be so full of life. Now, it felt empty and cold.

Standing in front of this large, dark house was a young girl, with long raven hair and pale skin. Her dark locks and blue dress were drenched in the rain that had fallen previously the night before. She was sitting on the steps, her knees up to her chin. Her deep brown eyes that used to be so large and innocent were now as dull and lifeless as the house itself. Thick black smeared lines ran down her cheeks, her makeup mixed in with her tears. She was mumbling to herself, flustered incoherent sentences were running out past her lips like a rushing stream. She was a mad woman. 

Authorities searched and tore the mansion apart for the fresh bodies. They were able to identify the found corpses: three teen girls, a middle aged woman, a horrifically disfigured young child, possibly around the age of eight, and a rotting skeleton in a lab coat, which was hidden behind a secret dungeon. The bodies were identified as Laura Harrington, Anne Lockheart, Lotte Richards, Mary Barrows, Bobby Barrows, and Dr. Walter Simpson, who had been missing for twelve years. 

The girl on the steps, Jennifer Simpson, screamed and cried to investigators as she was wheeled away into the ambulance on a stretcher, "Scissorman! Scissorman! He's in the clock tower! I KILLED HIM IN THE CLOCK TOWER!" 

When the clock tower was searched, all that was found was the body of Bobby Barrows, gruesomely mutilated and torn apart by the large gears. The large, blood covered garden shears the murderer had used weren't in the small, shallow room of turning gears clanking together. The closest piece of evidence they found at the scene was a small, dark, stone idol shaped as a skull. 

The Demon Idol.

Outside the mansion, news vans and reporters were swarming the grounds, trying to cash in on the attention of the horrific events that have happened only one night ago. Some brave reporters had even tried to put a microphone up to the screaming Jennifer, bombarding her with question after question, even as she was loaded up into the ambulance.

Jennifer Simpson and her friends were taken out of their home, The Granite Orphanage; wanted as adopted daughters for the Barrows family name. 

It happened in September.


	2. September

"Hey Jen! Guess what just happened?"

Jennifer peered over her book and met eyes with her friend Laura. She was a fairly pretty girl with long wavy blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Her face was stretched into a large, cheeky grin and Jen sighed before closing her book; anytime Laura smiled like that, it usually meant someone was about to get in serious trouble. 

"What did Anne do now?" She sighed. Laura's grin widened slightly and it was clear by now that she was holding back giggles. Jen ran her hand through her bangs and scooted a little to the left, allowing her friend room to sit down. 

"She put worm-filled mud in Mrs. Carter's purse! I wanted to stop her but-" she paused to let out another giggle, "-I thought of what her reaction would be. That woman has the most girly scream out of everyone else in this orphanage, and she's a grown woman!" Laura then proceeded to burst out into a fit of giggles as, if it was on cue, both of them heard the shrill cries of the older woman. 

Jennifer rolled her eyes.

"Anne is 19 years old now, just one year older than us, and she still pulls these childish pranks?" She muttered, shaking her head before going back to her book. Laura shrugged her shoulders at this and peered over her shoulder to see what she was so into. 

"Whatcha reading?"

"Poems."

They sat there for a minute, shaded from the hot sun by the branches of the tree they were laying under. Jennifer always came outside when she was distressed, carrying whatever book she found in the library of the Granite Orphanage. It had been 13 years ever since her dad, Walter Simpson, had mysteriously disappeared after leaving out of town to help with a patient and her mother ended up dying from leukemia. Jen hadn't really gotten to know her father that well, since he left when she was only 4, but she knew that he was a kind and gentle man, and his disappearance had greatly affected her over the years. She rarely ever spoke to anyone and had a lot of trouble making friends. It was only a matter of time until she eventually gave up on the thought of being adopted. She was one of the oldest kids in the orphanage and the adults always came looking for cute little kids from three to six; not a soon-to-be grown woman. 

Laura gave her a sympathetic look and squeezed her arm gently; Jen looked at her with tired eyes. "Don't give up just yet. We may get adopted by nice people soon," she explained with a small smile. Jen sighed and set her book down again, pulling her knees up to her chin. 

"How long have we been here? Thirteen years? It's pretty clear we're unwanted," she sniffled. The blonde sighed and combed her fingers through her friend's dark locks. Anne and her had kept praying but it was getting to the point where even they were starting to lose hope. A soft breeze swept through the garden and made the pages of the book rustle and whip the air. 

Jennifer's brown eyes closed tightly to hold down tears in her eyes.

Don't cry, Jennifer. Don't cry...

~

Mrs. Carter grumbled as she dumped all of the mud stuffed in her purse into the trashcan in her office. The two girls sitting in the two chairs positioned in front of her large oak desk exchanged looks as they heard her mumbled curses. One of the girls with short red hair was glaring at the brunette girl, clearly angry at her about something.

After she disposed of all the mud, Mrs. Carter snatched a few tissues from the box laying idly on her desk filled with stacks of papers. It was kind of hard to see her over all of the adoption papers that people have sent in, being that Granite was the most well-known orphanage in England. 

The older woman huffed and turned around, glaring at the two girls as she roughly scrubbed out her dirt-caked bag. Both of the girls flinched under her harsh gaze and tried to avoid directly staring at her, but they knew that she would get even more upset with them if they didn't look at her right in her jade eyes. They really didn't want to hear another long, overly-detailed rant about how 'they have no respect for anyone' and that 'they are setting a bad example for the younger kids' and blah, blah, blah...

A minute or two passed before anyone dared to speak up, nothing but a dull, intense silence was shared. Mrs. Carter sighed and threw her purse onto her rolling chair with a loud THWACK and she irritably pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head in disappointment. 

"This is the fifth time this week you girls have been called into my office. Why is it that you too can't stay out of each other's hair for just one minute? If you keep acting this recklessly around the other kids, I'll have no choice but to have you leave the orphanage!" 

"But I didn't do anything!" The redheaded girl protested, rising out of her seat angrily. Mrs. Carter glared at her darkly at her outburst. 

"Sit DOWN, Lotte; you have no right to speak me so disrespectively! I'll get to you in a minute! Don't even THINK about getting up again!" She roared, making Lotte suddenly fearful of the consequences of disobeying her again and sit down while the brown-haired girl giggled. 

The woman sighed and looked over at her, giving her a glare that repeatably barked 'Don't you dare lie to me'. The girl seemed to become uncomfortable at this. "Now Anne, do you know why you're here this time?" 

Anne nervously shuffled in her seat and wrung her hands. "Because I put mud in purse, Mrs. Carter?" She squeaked as sweetly as she could, flashing a wide grin so that the blow wouldn't be as harsh. The older woman's eyes narrowed and Anne's forced happy grin immediately fell. Mrs. Carter sighed and pushed her square rimmed glasses further up her nose, making both girls gulp audibly; as they knew it was 'lecture time'. 

"Yes, Anne, yes you did. You did an incredibly immature thing, dumping mud in my bag. Not only did you ruin my credit cards but you also severely disappointed me. This is something I would expect a three-year-old to do, not an almost grown woman! You are the oldest kid living in this orphanage and I except you to actually take responsibility for once and actually set an example for the children! Your old enough now to be living on your own and going to college, but I'm being nice and keeping you another year so you can be more prepared for when that time comes, but do not even think that you can just go around and do whatever you want! This is not a hotel and I expect a young lady such as yourself to treat me and the other people living here with respect! Do you understand?"

Anne had her back pressed against the chair so hand, she was almost tipping over, at the harsh tone of disgust in her voice. Not even Lotte could laugh at her expression of pure terror simply because she had directed that horrifyingly dark gaze right into her brown eyes. 

"Now, Lotte, it's your turn to talk. Do you know why you're in here?"

She looked down at the ground and picked limply at her baggy jeans, embarrassed at all the attention directed at her. "Because I pushed Janice in the mud."

Mrs. Carter continued to glare at her, "And why did you do that?"

Lotte looked up and met her gaze, "She was irritating me! Kept asking me the same thing over and over and over again! "Play dollies with me, Lotte! Play dollies with me, Lotte!" Why can't she get it through her thick skull that I don't want to play with her stupid toys and that I actually have chores to do, unlike her! Why can't she just leave me alone for one second?!?"

"Lotte, she's four," Anne cut in, pointing that out. The redhead glared at her in annoyance.

"This doesn't concern you! Stay out of this, Annie!" She yelled.

"Hey! You know I hate it when you call me that! I'm in here, right next to you; this is my conversation just as much as it is yours!" She screamed back and shot out her chair, glaring at her with equal fury. 

"THATS ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU, SIT DOWN AND SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!" Mrs. Carter roared and slammed a large textbook down on her desk hard, silencing their argument and making them both hurriedly slam down in their seats. They stared at her with fearful expressions. The woman adjusted her slipping glasses on her nose once and gently sit down in her own seat, her hands daintily lying on top of one another. 

"Lotte, you can't expect a toddler to understand what you're thinking. I'm sure you don't remember this, but you acted the same way when you were four-"

"Pfft. Yeah right..." Lotte scoffed, rolling her eyes and slumping down in her seat lazily. 

Mrs. Carter's eyes narrowed dangerously, making her shut up. She cleared her throat, "As I was saying, she's too young to understand what's going on and she just wants some attention. Abusing her just because she's annoying you isn't the answer and you know that. I've had you come in here far too often and it's always the same outcome: you allow your emotions to control your actions and you do so without thinking of the consequences. You need to learn how to control your anger issue, because we are not talking about this subject again. Do you understand?" 

Lotte only nodded, looking even more ashamed and embarrassed. Mrs. Carter sighed and leaned back in her seat, massaging her temples. "Very good. I'm glad you understand. You are both dismissed; now go try and get everyone inside. It's lunch time."

Anne and Lotte both nodded and stood up, walking out of the door silently. Mrs. Carter watched intensively as the dark oak door slowly shut. Once she was sure the girls were gone, she looked over at a closet in the corner of the room.

"Okay; you can come out now," she yelled to the closet.

The door was swung open immediately and a woman huffed and stepped out of the closet. She was a very attractive young woman with a tight body and a doll-like face. Her dirty blonde hair was done up in a neat little bun and she was wearing a light blue blouse and a dark blue pencil skirt. She sighed and pulled out some liquid from her purse, reapplying it to her chapped lips. She walked over to the large desk, her black heels clicking against the floor.

"Don't you think you were a little hard in them, Stephanie?" She asked as she sat down in a chair in front of the desk, crossing her legs. Mrs. Carter chuckled and began to search through her large stack of papers.

"They need to learn, Mary. I know you've taught them since they were seven, but they can get in trouble vary easily. Are you sure your friend is clear on his decision? We have a lot of girls here that are eligible for him."

May chuckled and twiddled her thumbs innocently, "He's definitely sure. Simon's never had children before, as his wife died before they could even consider raising youngsters. He's very lonely inside that house of his. I've been telling him about these wonderful children for years and he has always chosen these four girls over everyone else. I guess he's just drawn to them the same way I am."

Mrs. Carter held up four sheets of paper in her hand and placed them side by side on the desk. "But are you sure he'll be able to handle them all alone like that?" She asked in concern as she handed Mary a pen. 

The woman only chuckled at her worry and took the pen gracefully, "Don't worry, Steph. I'll be there to help him out and the girl's love me. It'll be no trouble; I'm sure they'll have lots of fun."

Mrs. Carter chuckled softly at this reply, "I'm sure of that. Please fill this out."

Mary looked at the pieces of paper intensively, limply grasping the pen.

One the first piece of paper, there was a picture at the top of a smiling girl with shoulder length dark brown hair, pale skin, freckles, and copper eyes. Below the picture, there was a list of information.

Annie Lockheart

On the second sheet of paper, there was another picture of a smiling girl, this time with long, wavy blonde hair running down her back, fair skin, and bright blue eyes. She seemed definitely much more down to earth than Anne.

Laura Harrington

On the third sheet of paper, there was yet another picture of a girl, who was this time wasn't smiling. She had dark red hair chopped up into a messy pixie cut, pale skin, and narrow light brown eyes. She was glaring at the camera, and it was obvious she didn't want to be there.

Lotte Richardson

Finally, on the last sheet of paper there was one more picture of a girl, but she didn't seem to have any expression at all. Her skin was pale and pasty and long raven black hair ran down her back. Her large, puppy-like brown eyes were shiny, so it looked as if she was crying.

Jennifer Simpson

"Mary? Are you reconsidering?" Mrs. Carter's worried voice interrupted her focus. Mary felt her lips tug into a smile.

"No no. Everything is just perfect," she chuckled as she began to fill out the adoption papers. Mrs. Carter happily smiled at this.

"I'll tell them the news after lunch. They'll leave early tomorrow morning, is that okay?"

"Perfect."

~

Jennifer was laying in her bed, buried under the slightly-dirty sheets and breathing into her soft pillow. The warmth of the afternoon sun was baring down on her from the window, the thin, translucent white drapes not blocking out the light at all. She groaned and rolled over, trying to block out the sunlight. 

Her small room in the orphanage wasn't the greatest place for privacy. You see, she had to share it with four other girls. They were mostly younger than her, mainly in their early teens, with the exception of Lotte, who shared her age. 

She smiled at the thought of the name. Lotte Richardson. Her best friend in the whole world, even more so than Laura or Anne; the former was far too nice and easily scared to hardly ever take seriously and the latter was far too mean-spirited and arrogant to her liking. But Lotte was perfect for her; brash and bold, but still caring to her whenever she'd get picked on by the other students. They were the perfect contrast to each other. 

Her eyes, tired from a lack of sleep, stared at her beside desk. Staring back at her was a picture in a dusty frame. The photo was the only one of her entire family, taken when she was four. Looking at this made her see from whom she had gotten her similarities from: her slender, tiny frame from her mother and her fair complexion and raven hair from her father. 

She never really knew much about her parents. 

From what she could remember, both were very kind people that generally cared about her and for each other and their names: Martha and Walter Simpson. Mr. Simpson was a doctor and he often traveled a lot out of town and back, so she clearly didn't get to know him as well as she got to know her mother. Every time he'd come home, she'd eagerly show him the scribbles that passed as drawings and ask for his praise; he'd chuckle at her "masterpieces", say they were beautiful, and would hang them on the refrigerator. But one day, he never came home and five year old Jennifer would sit by the door, holding her latest drawing that she was eager to show him. She was too young to know what was going on; she just thought daddy was a few days late. Days soon turned into weeks, and weeks transitioned into months. Her mother lost more hope for his return with each day that passed and she soon became sick. She was far too sick to take care of a child.

That was how she was taken into The Granite Orphanage.

Tears were brimming in her eyes and she had to blink a couple of times in order to see properly. She sat up in her bed and looked around her sunny room. Hearing a familiar rumbling sensation in her stomach, she realized that she was indeed hungry. Sighing, she got up and walked over to the door. Since she had skipped lunch an hour ago, she really hoped there was at least one sandwich left for her to salvage on. Upon opening the door, she was met face-to-face with a shockingly eager Lotte, a sight that made her jump in shock.

Knowing the redhead, this type of expression could ether make Jen feel curious or scared out of her mind. She backed away to allow her friend room to walk in. She seemed to be oozing with excitement and Jen was hesitant to ask what she was so happy about. Lotte opened her mouth to speak but another excited voice beat her to the punch.

"Jennifer! Lotte! Guess what? Guess what?" Laura and Anne cried out happily as they ran into the room, panting when they finally decided to stop at the foot of the door. 

Jennifer took a step forward, a delicate eyebrow arched in confusion as her friends tried to catch their breath. She could feel Lotte glaring irritably at them for interrupting her. "What is it?" She asked while placing a hand on Laura's shoulder. 

"W-we-we're....going...to, ha, to...be...heh...adopted..." The blonde panted out with a chuckle and brushed some of her long bangs out of her face. Anne sat on one of the beds and placed a stuffed bear on her lap, playing with it by moving it's chubby little arms up and down. 

"W-what?" Jennifer gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. They were getting adopted now of all times? Normally people would go for the cute, innocent, impressionable kids until the age of 13. Who would adopt girls who have two years until they're in their twenties. 

"She's right! And our new mother is Ms. Mary! We're going to be sisters!" Anne exclaimed as she threw the stuffed bear to the side.

"M-Ms. Mary?" Jennifer couldn't believe what she was hearing. Mary was one of the kindest, most considerate, and certainly the most reasonable teachers in the entire system. She loved all her students equally and they could tell her anything and she wouldn't peep to anyone, not even her supervisors. Jen always considered her to be her second mother; now that statement is becoming a reality.

"Isn't this great?" Laura cried out as she suddenly tackled the stunned girl in a hug. Jen flinched a little bit at the sudden contact but soon placed a slender hand on the small of her back. 

"Y-Yeah...this is...this is wonderful," she stuttered, unable to think of another word to use to describe the situation. Laura soon let her go and she just stood there as everyone else happily chatted about what was happening. About how much a good life they would live with their favorite teacher and how it would be everything they had dreamed about.

Jennifer couldn't help but agree with them and she smiled.


	3. Welcome Home

Jennifer inhaled and exhaled as she stood on the balcony of the girls' bedroom in the Granite Orphanage. Crisp early morning wind combed through her long, dark tresses and she struggled to keep her bangs out of her eyes. The sky was a pretty collage of pink, yellow, and blue, as it was at the time dawn. 

She was currently wearing the fanciest dress she could find; a creamy white blouse and a long dark blue skirt with a slight purple tint; held up only by suspenders of the same color. The only news of they managed to get of their new owner was that he was a single man in his thirties and that he was apparently very rich, as he owned both a very large and beautiful mansion out in the woods and even a giant castle right on the outskirts of town, located in the mountains. So, in order to make a good impression, the four of them agreed to wear their finest clothing. 

Of course, Jennifer was the only one who could go through with this in a civil manner. The rest of the girls on the other hand...

"Lotte, where is my vest?" Anne spoke in a hushed voice as she fiddled with the buttons on her yellow blouse. The redhead, who was still digging through her clothes for something decent to wear, turned her head and gave her an odd look. 

"How should I know? I don't touch any of your shit," she grumbled, becoming more and more annoyed as she had to toss yet another "inappropriate" t-shirt to the side. It landed in her overpacked duffle bag. Anne sighed and knelt down to dig through her own stack of clothes. 

"I know it's in here somewhere...Laura? Have you seen my vest?"

The blonde stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her head. She was already dressed in a light blue, long sleeved dress. She was just trying to fix her hair up into some sort Barbie-doll like style, as if she didn't look like a doll already. 

"Which one?" 

"The brown one with fur."

Laura still looked rather confused as she unraveled her hair from her damp towel. She sighed, placing her slender hand on her curvy hip. "Dark brown or light brown?"

Anne threw her hands up in frustration, sighing dramatically. It was always like her to put on a show. "Dark, dumbass!"

The other girl held up her hands in defense. "Sorry. I think I saw it somewhere in my stuff. Here, I'll check-"

"No need to," Lotte cut in as she pulled a red button up, short sleeve shirt over her head. She then bent down and pulled out a thick lump of brown and fur. "You were pretty close though."

Anne shrieked as she stormed over to the redhead and snatched the vest away, her face red with anger and embarrassment. "Thief!" She cried out, pointing a shaky finger over at the girl. 

Lotte smirked and crossed her arms over her large chest. Jennifer watched with interest along with Laura. When Lotte smiled like that, it always meant she was going win the argument in the end. 

"Well, Annie, as I seem to recall: I did not pack that into my suitcase, believe me, I would certainly remember it. You, on the other hand, were in such a hurry to look prwetty, you just threw your clothes all over the place. And, I seem to remember seeing your prwecious vest sitting on the bed along with the rest of your clothes. Your argument?"

Anne's nostrils flailed up and her face was as red as a tomato, her mouth agape and a weird strangled cry flowed past her lips, as if she was trying to find the words to say before pursing her lips together and storming away with a stubborn huff. Lotte chuckled at this with a smug look on her face before bending over to search for a skirt or...something like that. Laura sighed and ran over to comfort Anne while Jennifer stood there, not resisting the urge to chuckle herself. 

A few minutes passed as the girls finished up, expect for Lotte, who was still searching for a skirt to no avail. She groaned in defeat and sat on her knees, combing her slender fingers through her boyish short hair. Anne, Laura, and Jen glanced up from fastening their shoes, one with a look of annoyance, the others in confusion. 

"What is it?" Jen muttered, fiddling with her thumbs. Lotte looked up at her as if she was expecting to get the gist of her frustration. When the trio of girls only gave her confused stares in response, she heaved a sigh and stood up, still wearing her striped pajama bottoms. 

"I don't have a goddamn skirt! Of all my pointless clothes, I can't find one fucking skirt! Great! Just great!" 

Anne's dark brown eyebrow arched up in interest. "Well, tough cookies for you. You're not borrowing any of my clothes, we're all packed up." With that said and done, she threw herself down on her bed, feeling the mattress bounce beneath her. 

Laura, however, was much kinder than her best friend. She smiled softly and approached her other hotheaded friend, placing her soft hand on her shoulder, ignoring her noticeable flinching at the touch. "Wear what you want, Lotte. Just make sure it looks nice."

With an annoyed sigh, Lotte continued to dig through her clothes until she finally gave up and pulled on a loose pair of blue jeans. She was already wearing a red tight short-sleeved blouse that matched her hair, so she simply tucked it in. There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Carter's head popped in. 

"Is everyone ready?"

"Well we are," Anne groaned, gesturing to herself, Jen, and Laura. "Lotte is still packing because she was too lazy to buy a skirt at anytime during the last eighteen years!" 

"Oh, give me a break little Miss Owner-Of-Over-A-Thousand-Vests!" Came the expected reply. 

Mrs. Carter sighed in exasperation at the delay, but still kept her pleasant smirk. The girls honestly couldn't tell if she was happy that they've finally found a home that was accepting them or glad because didn't have to put up with them anymore. She stood in the doorway, her hand pressed tightly her meaty hip.

"Well, hurry it up then. Ms. Mary's waiting for you all back in the car and I'd hate to make her stand for so long. Do you all want her to be unhappy because you all held her up?" 

The girls all exchanged looks. As much as they disliked their bossy caretaker, she did have a point. They loved Ms. Mary and they would never forgive themselves if they ended up upsetting her. "No ma'am," they all muttered in unison, looking as ashamed as they did when they were little children.

That smile melted into a frown, one of which they were all expecting sooner or later. "Then come quickly! You all have five minutes! Chop-chop!" With that said, she adjusted her spectacles, spun around to whip her curly raven hair in exaggeration, and walked away with her heels loudly clicking throughout the hallway. Lotte and Anne sighed in annoyance, while Laura and Jen just exchanged uncertain looks. 

Mrs. Carter was sure to make the girls leave as soon as humanly possible; making them wake up at 4:05 in the morning, while it was still dark outside, to eat and pack their things, basically translating to "leave no traces of you ever being here". This, sadly, included any gifts they gave to the other children or dents in the wall they may have accidentally made over the last eighteen or so years. 

Lotte continued to sigh in woe as she tugged on her small brown leather boots and sloppily ran a plastic green comb through her short hair. In order to not provoke Mrs. Carter's wrath, Jennifer and Laura helped Lotte with packing, while Anne stood off to the side and watched because she was too stubborn, or in her own words: 'I'm not picking up your crap! Do it yourself, you lazy cow!'. This ended up taking all their extended time, but they luckily managed to narrowly avoid passing Mrs. Carter in the hallway, who was on their way to their room. 

"Wha-girls?!? GIRLS!" She called out but they paid no mind to her, even when she began to chase after them. Lotte beat them to the punch however, having the advantage of not worrying about breaking a heel or tripping over a long, flowing skirt. By the time they reached the entrance, three out of the four young adults were panting and sweaty but still presentable. Mrs. Carter was still lagging behind them though, hoisted by her own petard: her ridiculously high heels. 

With their chests heaving and leaning on each other, the girls set their bags down for a moment and took a breather to register the fact that this was the last time they would enter this lobby. This was the last time they would see the red and green checkered carpet beneath their feet. This was the last time they hear the loud grimy bells of the old clock on the wall. This was the last time they would-

The girls paused from their reminiscing, hearing footsteps retreating from them and the sound of a door loudly slamming shut behind them, the little bell attached to it jingling. Turning their heads, Laura, Jen, and Anne stared in disbelief at Lotte's retreating red back with her bag heaved over her shoulder, the slight slightly cloudy in the dusty window.

"L-Lotte!" Laura timidly cried out, tucking a curly blonde strand behind her ear. Jen wasn't honestly that shocked; she grew up with the brash redhead, so she was used to this rude behavior.

"Well? What are you Barbie dolls doing in there? Come on! Are you really reconsidering, because there is no way I am unpacking all this stuff!" 

Heaving heavy sighs of annoyance, the rest of the girls knelt down and grabbed their things, instantly forgetting just how heavy they were, and stumbled out the door. Awaiting them was a long, shiny black limousine, fancy dressed driver and all. The girl's couldn't resist gaping, their eyes wide with shock. In all their lives, they had no seen anything this...expensive. Did all the other orphans get this treatment when they were adopted? This couldn't be real! 

They saw one of the large dark windows roll down, and Lotte's smiling red haired head popped out, greeting them with a large Cheshire grin. Upon noticing their shock, she showed more shiny white teeth. "I know right?" She cheerfully shouted, wind sweeping through her hair. The three girls snapped out of their daze when the door opened and Ms. Mary stepped out, the wind barely leaving a dent in her prim and proper blonde bun.

"Girls?" 

She sounded surprised, but her rosy lips were curled into the most beautiful smile that brightened their day more than the sun could ever have. Her hands were rested on her curvy hips, dressed in a sky blue sweater with a turtleneck and a tight purple pencil skirt. She was also wearing black heels, but unlike people such as Mrs. Carter, she could work them. "You all look beautiful." 

Anne looked confident as ever while Laura blushed. Jen really didn't know what to say; nobody had ever really called her 'beautiful' up into this point. Laura or even Anne were the people who got the attention, not the tomboyish Lotte or the mousy Jennifer. Instead, she just looked down and fiddled with the buttons on her blouse. 

Mary was still smiling, her blue eyes twinkling in the light, as she stepped to the side, gesturing towards the open door being held open by the driver, dressed all up in his tux and fancy hat. From what they could see, red leather interior and Lotte's satisfied expression, it looked as warm and inviting as Ms. Mary's smile. The three girls exchanged excited or puzzled glances before immediately dashing towards the vehicle, leaving their bags behind to be picked up. 

Anne climbed in first, laughing and instantly crashing against the plush-like seats. Strangely enough, her and Lotte started to have a civil conversation almost immediately. They were talking too fast to actually get the major details, but it could be about how amazing their new ride was and how they weren't told their new owner was rich. Laura crawled in a little more hesitantly then the last two, a nervous but still happy smile crossing her lips. Jennifer was still standing outside, pinching herself to be sure she wasn't really dreaming. 

"Are you coming, Jennifer?" 

Jen looked up and blushed, seeing Mary's concerned face. The woman smiled sweetly at her and extended her hand, expecting her to take it. The young girl bit her lip, her dark hair falling in her face. "Y-yes, I am," she mumbled, limply gripping the woman's slender hand. Her skin was so smooth and creamy, unlike anything she had ever touched. 

Mary's smile never faded as she led the quiet girl into the limousine, the latter quickly being greeted by Anne and Lotte's isn't this, like, totally awesome speeches and Laura's hand gently patting the seat next to her. Jen sat next to the blonde, staring down at her pale hands lying limply in her lap. She just couldn't believe this was actually happening. It had to be a dream, a wonderful enchanting dream. This couldn't possibly be happening, could it?

Mary climbed into the passengers seat, seen in the glass that separated the front from the back. They had every word of the conversation with no interruptions now.

"This," Anne said for the fifth time, gesturing to their ride, "is awesome." 

Lotte chucked, reaching out to grab a handful of treats from the bowl sitting on the mounted down table in front of them. "You know, Anne," she said, unwrapping one of the mini Goobers bars and popping it in her mouth, "I can't help but agree with you."

"I wonder if we will be able to drive around in this all the time?" Laura muttered, a small dark Hershey's bar being twiddled around in her fingers. Jennifer couldn't help but notice how quiet she has actually been in the last few days. It seemed so un-Laura-like. 

"God, I hope so," Lotte said through a mouthful of candy. A fleck of spit flew past her lips and onto Jennifer's cheek, making the girl shudder in disgust. "Right Jen?" 

"Uhh..." Jennifer flushed, noticing that all eyes were on her. She stared down at the floor again, watching her thighs squeeze together in her nervousness. "Y-yeah...right..." 

Lotte and Anne continued on with their merry little conversation, with Laura occasionally adding a question or little sentence, while Jen stared out the car window. She watched the dark green trees zip by and the large, palace like structure of the Granite Orphanage, the very place she had grown to know as her home, grow smaller and smaller and smaller. Then, in almost a flash, it was gone and they were zipping past cars on the road. 

Jennifer finally faced the facts.

This was really happening.  
~

It took a few bathroom breaks and stopping by the nearest restaurant for lunch to get the girls to calm down and relax. Lotte and Anne were asleep, clutching their full bellies and they heads lolling on each other's shoulders. Laura was starting to doze off herself, her head tilting sideways and resting against the window.

Jennifer couldn't sleep. 

It wasn't because she was hungry or anything, she was just excited. She didn't want to close her eyes and miss any moment of this. She couldn't help but wonder what her new owner was like. He was clearly rich enough to rent a limo for them to ride across town in and apparently lived in a mansion. Was he nice? Or was he one of those creepy people who adopted children because he liked them, in...that way? She shuddered just thinking about it. She never wanted to have to deal with those kind of people.

Staring out the foggy window, she watched as the green trees of the forest skipped past as the car suddenly came to a stop. Were they here already?

The car door was yanked open and bright light of the baby blue sky filled the limo, with Mary's smiling face waiting for them on the other side. Lotte and Anne hissed as the sun hit their eyes, but Laura awoke with no struggle. Jennifer stared at Mary with curious eyes, watching as the woman watched them with a twinkle in her blue eyes. 

"Come on, girls! We're here!" She cheerfully chimed, ignoring Lotte and Anne's annoyed groans as they sat up and rubbed their tired eyes. Jennifer and Laura were already out of the car by the time they decided to move their hides. Mary was rather patient however, still smiling cheerfully. 

"We're...we're living in...in a forest?" Anne slurred as she stumbled out, still clearly out of it. Lotte yawned and stretched her lanky limbs as she leaned against the door. Jennifer and Laura exchanged looks while Mary still smiled, although by this point it was hard to tell if it was fake or not. 

"No," Lotte sighed as she arched her back, a soft pop sounding from it, "we're living in a house that's inside the forest." 

"Ohhhhh..." 

With heavy sighs and a few giggles in between them, the girls were handed their luggage and started walking. Of course, being that they have never walked for more than 10 minutes in their entire lives, there was some complaining to be dealt with. Mary carried on with a kind smile anyway. Jennifer watched her from the corner of her brown eye, trying to find a way to read past her smile. When that failed, she simply decided to focus her attention on the beautiful scenery around them. 

The trees swayed in the soft breeze that had swept through the crisp afternoon. Birds chirped innocently from the treetops, cooing in the air with their sweet songs. The freshly fallen leaves of many colors crunched under their heels as they carried on, Mary leading them to their new home. Their fresh start in life.

It had been almost an hour and Laura was already lagging behind, her suitcase dragging on the ground and sweeping up all the leaves, twigs, and dry grass with it. She was panting heavily, but it was clear that she wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. Mary and Jennifer were in the lead, talking amongst themselves about the place they were going. Jennifer couldn't help but feel queasy; she had never met this guy, even before the adoption. What would he be like? Hopefully, he would be a kind hearted individual that would treat them with both care and respect. At least, that was what she wished; Anne, Lotte, and Laura's mileages may vary. Speaking of which, the brunette and the redhead weren't too far behind, at least not as much as Laura. It was hard to hear what they were talking about but Jen could feel Anne turn her head, most likely to talk to Laura.

"Hurry up, Laura!" Yes, her suspicions have been confirmed. "We want to be there before sundown!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" She cried in response, clutching her suitcase in one hand and daintily holding the hem of her long blue skirt in the other. "You try walking in these shoes and see how far it gets you!" Ah, there's Laura. 

Jennifer couldn't help but smile at her friends' loud antics. Even though they were all pretty much adults, they still acted like children at the drop of a hat. It was no wonder nobody had adopted them up to this point; they probably just didn't want to deal with the craziness. The adoption...oh god, the adoption. It was still impossible to believe. This couldn't be real. It had to be a dream. A cruel, blissful, fantastic, heartless, wonderful dream, but a dream nothing less. She was still pinching herself, desperately trying to decipher reality from this odd cold fantasy. 

She grasped Mary's hand, gripping the slender appendage with strength she never knew she had. Why? Is it some sort of reassurance? A sign of comfort? Maybe she just wanted to feel something that felt real. Solid. Still, Mary looked down at her, those blue eyes twinkling in the dim light. Jennifer stared into those eyes, not helping the feeling of mystery she had gotten from them. She licked her lips, an odd pulsing feeling in her throat from the words trying to force themselves out. 

Finally, she swallowed her pride and spoke, her voice in a delicate whisper. "Ms. Mary?" 

"Yes Jennifer?"

Okay, you can do this. Talk. Talk. Talk.

"From now on, what kind of place will we be living in?"

She heard Mary chuckle, an amused look on her face. Jennifer was quickly turned off by this, feeling something was off. Had she said something wrong?

"Why that's the fifth time you asked!" 

She did? Odd, she didn't remember asking before. Maybe she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she blocked out everyone around her, including her own voice. A hot blush creeped over her face and she had a sudden urge to watch the grass grow as she walked along the trail. Mary, however, carried on with the conversation.

"Don't worry, it's a nice place," she grinned, her hands clasped together softly. Jennifer could help but feel the need of becoming like this beautiful woman. Always smiling and kind, not letting anything bring her down. She was amazing. As she stared at this lovely woman, the woman that she grew up with by her side, the woman who was practically a mother to her, Jennifer couldn't help but feel a small smile tug on her own lips.

Mary pointed at something in the distance. "We're almost there, see?" Jennifer and the other girls followed the woman's finger to the direction she was pointing. Far away, buried in the trees, was a giant, elegant looking white house, with green vines growing on the walls and a long tower on the end, stretching up to reach the sun. 

Jennifer's heart started to pound in her chest and her palms felt clammy and damp. A nervous sweat had already begun to break out and they weren't even close yet. Her reaction was a stark contrast to the other girls reactions, as they were as cheerful as ever, giggling and tripping over their own feet in their clumsy attempts at getting there first. Laura was still lagging behind and Jennifer couldn't help but notice her smile had faded just a little bit.

Must be just the nerves, Jen thought to herself as she rubbed her hands together, I can relate.

It seemed like the last few miles would take years before they hall finally reached the house. Unlike most mansions, this one didn't have a large iron gate to get through, which Jennifer was glad of. She hated those things, they always made her feel like she was in a prison. They stopped just a few feet close to the actual house itself, too tired and sweaty to walk any farther. Mary had suggested that before entering the house to stop for a break and tidy up a bit. Laura and Anne were talking amongst themselves about how great it was to be finally out of The Granite Orphanage while Lotte chugged down a bottle of water she had brought with her. 

Jennifer sighed and brushed her dark hair out of her eyes, the soft breeze combing through it. She looked at the house, squinting her eyes at it. The place looked welcoming, warm and inviting yet there was just something a little off. Her eyes skimmed the windows for something. What it was, she didn't know yet. 

Her gaze rested on one of the higher windows.

It looked like a little boy, leaning against the window and staring out at them. She couldn't see his face clearly but she did notice a bush of platinum blonde hair and a wide, toothy grin. He was staring at her, waving at her. She stared back, confusion riddled on her face. Finally, she hesitantly lifted her small hand up and waved back. 

"What's wrong, Jennifer?" She spun around, her raven looks whipping the air as she faced Mary, who was walking up to her with a soft smile gracing her rosy lips. The girl bit her lip in thought. As she was struggling to find the words to say, she instead pointed up at the window she had seen the child in. 

"What are you pointing at, dear?" 

Jennifer gave her a confused look, before turning back around and looking back at the window. How odd; the boy was gone. Jennifer blinked multiple times and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She was probably just tired but it just...felt...felt so...

"Ah, I see. Those darn curtains are playing tricks on your mind; making you think you see ghosts, huh? I always keep telling Simon to get rid of them but he never listens." She heard Mary sigh, the first time she had shown the slightest hint of disappointment all day. "Oh well. Let's head inside girls. He probably tired of waiting."

Jennifer and the other girls nodded in understanding and gathered up their stuff, following the beautiful woman inside the large, strange house.

~

"What a huge place!"

"Yeah! The main hall's gigantic!" 

Lotte was already sitting down in one of the fancy gold chairs with blue cushioning surrounding a small glass table. Anne and Laura hurriedly set their things down and sat down in front of the table. Jennifer set her things down as well, but she didn't sit down; there weren't enough chairs. 

The walls and a lot of the furniture were gold and the curtains over the double rectangular windows behind them were a rosy satin. The carpet was dark red and soft, not a stain in place. Close to the front door was a white spiral staircase, leading up to a balcony filled to the brim with shut oak doors with shiny knobs. There was also a few fancy looking paintings of people Jennifer had never recognized before, probably relatives of Mr. Barrows or priceless family heirlooms. It certainly held up in the looks department indeed. Jennifer just decided to stand next to her friends, not wanting to sit on the floor.

Mary stood in front of them, her hands clasped up neatly to her large chest. Her lips were curled into a genuinely kind smile. She truly was amazing.

"I'm going to get Mr. Barrows," she cheerfully sung, spinning on her heel and beginning to walk away from the girls. "Please wait here." With that said, she approached a door that was close to where Lotte was sitting against the wall. 

There was silence as they waited. 

Jennifer approached Anne, her hands tucked behind her back and biting down on her lip. "Hey Anne?"

The brunette turned and gave her friend a knowing smirk, a soft twinkle in her eye. "You want to know what the kind of guy Mr. Barrows is, right?"

Jennifer would've been speechless had she not have seen this coming. She shuffled her feet on the velvet carpet, watching as a small ant scurry across her foot. "...Yeah."

Well, that's it for Anne. Why bother talking to someone who knew you were already going to say? Laura was rather quiet and Jennifer had been meaning to speak to her in concern for her odd behavior. Approaching the blonde, Jen took notice of her hunched shoulders, hands tightly clasped over the other in her lap, and her hair falling in her blue eyes. Upon noticing Jennifer approaching her, she looked with an unreadable face.

"What is it?" She sighed. 

Jennifer was taken aback at this; Laura was alway tolerant, especially around her friends. "Is something wrong, Laura?" 

Jen watched as her friend shrugged and avoided her gaze, staring down as her lap, her hair still falling in her face. "This house...it makes me feel...uneasy, in a way. I can't put my finger on it..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Lotte cut in, looking around as if she was nervous, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this house."

"Heh," Anne chuckled, leaning back in her seat, "Lotte's paranoid."

The redhead's brown eyes narrowed dangerously. "Shut up, dumbass." 

"You first, pig nose." 

Nobody dared to speak for the rest of the time they spent waiting. Waiting for Mary to return with Mr. Barrows. They waited and waited and waited.

Mary did not return.

They didn't notice at first, sitting there innocently waiting for their favorite teacher to return while occasionally deciding to chat about how much better their lives are now that they're out of the cursed orphanage they were enslaved in al, their lives. 

Then an hour ticked by and the conversations died down.

Then two hours ticked by and the conversations stopped completely.

Then three hours ticked by and there was complete silence.

Then so many hours ticked by, it was already pitch black outside. The girls were safe thank to the strong lights keeping them awake and alive. Anne was playing with her hair, pulling out a thin strand and wrapping it around her index finger. Laura was gnawing on some hard candy, all the cherry flavor of the Jolly Ranchers she had suckled on completely lost by this point. Lotte was slumped over in her chair, rubbing her eyes in numerous attempts to keep herself awake. Jennifer was sitting on the steps of the spiral staircase, reading her poem book and struggling to focus get tired eyes.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, 

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore- 

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, 

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. 

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door- 

Only this and nothing more." 

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; 

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. 

Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow 

From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore- 

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore- 

Nameless here for evermore. 

Jennifer paused from her reading of The Raven. As much as she loved this poem on a personal level, not even it could keep her awake. 

Anne sighed, throwing the 33rd strand of her hair onto the rug, stretching her back against her chair. She glanced over at Jennifer and Jennifer glanced up from her book at her.

"Mary..." Anne paused to yawn, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists. "She's been...gone for a...long time..."

"Yeah," Laura mumbled, her mouth still full of sticky wet candy, "I'm really getting worried." 

Lotte yawned and sat up, bending her spine backwards and sighing in relief upon hearing it crack. "Man, where is that chick?"

"Maybe she was kidnapped?" Anne suggested, tucking her bangs behind her ears. 

Lotte sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "No dumbass. Who would kidnap her and not us? I mean, no offense, she's old."

"Just a suggestion, pig nose."

"Bitch."

"Alright. Alright guys," Laura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she stood up. She unruffled her long skirt, trying to make herself look more appealing. "Let's not start another fight. How about one of us go look for her? She couldn't have gone far." 

"I like that idea," Jennifer peeped up, making everyone look at her in slight surprise. Not that the sweet, quiet, submissive Jennifer Simpson voiced an opinion but the fact that this was the most she's spoke this entire day going on night. 

Lotte and Anne exchanged looks and shrugged. "Okay," the former yawned, "so who's going to do it?"

It took her a moment to realize everyone was staring at her. 

"You...want...ME to look for her?"

Laura shrugged, "Well, you are the most physically capable then the rest of us."

"Or is that all just talk?" Anne teased, a smirk growing on her lips. 

Jennifer couldn't help but feel alarmed by this. If Mary hasn't returned yet, then something must be wrong.

"N-no Lotte," she muttered, wringing her tiny hands. Everyone stared at her in response, shock plastered all over their faces. "I'll...I'll g-go..." 

"Are...are you sure?" Anne whispered, her brown eyebrow arching up in confusion. Laura was too flabbergasted to respond. Lotte was giving Jennifer a look of concern, and she understood why. She was weak, timid, submissive, and quiet. She was just a girl. 

"L-Laura said that she...she can't be that far. You...you'll see soon. I'll bring her back and...we'll, you know, adjust to...this..."

"You might get lost," Laura pointed out, her face twisted in concern. Jennifer shrugged in response. 

"I know. But, hey, we're going to be living here, right? What's wrong with exploring?" 

The girls exchanged looks but smiled and nodded anyway. 

"If you happen to get the time, please tell us once you get back. I'm so damn tired," Lotte mumbled.

Jennifer chuckled. 

"Of course. I'll be right back. See you in a minute." 

She walked over to the door Mary walked out of and grabbed the shiny amber knob. It felt cold, almost like ice. Shuddering, Jennifer closed her eyes and breathed in and out, slowly opening the door and stepping out of it. 

The light from the main hall instantly went away and Jennifer stood in a dark hallway. The floor was dusty and grey but still sturdy. The walls were dark with lightly peeling wallpaper. There was one window, allowing moonlight into the room, with its velvet curtains swaying in the breeze. There was a pitch black room with no door next to her and sitting ahead of her was a single oak door, begging to be opened. 

Jennifer swallowed a lump in her throat and rubbed her arms; it was surprisingly cold. She was hesitant but she took her first step, her heels clicking against the floor.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Suddenly, she froze. She had heard something. It was loud and ear piercing and it chilled her to the bone. She turned her head, staring at the door leading back to the main hall with wide eyes. 

She heard the girls, her friends, scream. 

There was no lights shining from under the door. 

Her heart started to pound and panicked thoughts ran throughout her head as she spun on her heel and ran towards the door. She quickly grabbed the knob and twisted it, throwing the door open so hard it was nearly knocked of its hinges. 

The room was dark and silent.

Jennifer groped the wall, desperately searching for the light switch. "G-guys?" She whimpered as she searched to no avail. There was no answer. 

Finally, after a minute of manhandling the wall, Jennifer finally found the switch. She flipped that sucker on and hissed upon feeling the bright lights assault her eyes. She rubbed them to adjust. 

"Guys?"

She opened them. 

Then she froze, her eyes wide and her face pale.

She was the only person in this room.


	4. Drip

The silence was tantalizing, mocking her fear and daring her to move.

Jennifer's brown eyes skimmed the now empty room, hoping to find solid evidence that this was some sort of sick joke pulled on by her friends. If it was, hopefully it was, they did a good job keeping themselves hidden; even the luggage was gone.

"Girls?" She called out timidly and, again, was rewarded with silence. "C-come on! This isn't funny!" She stepped into the room, trying to keep her stuttering to a minimum. Her footsteps echoed through the main hall and it was then that she realized how empty this room really was. A sudden urge of panic flowed through her veins, but she tried to remain calm, as she walked over to the front door. 

She tugged and pulled gently at the knob but it simply jiggled in her hands. The door wouldn't budge even in the slightest of circumstances, such as this one. 

"Locked..." Jennifer mumbled as she backed away from the door, her dark bangs falling in her field of vision. She brushed them back in annoyance and walked back over to the small table and three chairs her friends were at just a minute ago. She stared out the window, her eyes darting around for any signs of them as she gripped the pink satin curtains in her sweaty hands. All she saw was the dark green forest set against a pitch black background.

The girl sighed and backed away from the window, running her hands over her face. Good god, was she tired. 

Relax Jen, she thought to herself, this can all be a prank. You know how Anne is. They could be hiding anywhere in this house...yeah, yeah that's it...

Eyeing the white spiral staircase, she slowly started up, jumping a little bit at just how loud her footsteps were on the wood. She took her time, allowing herself to calm down as she reached the second floor of the hall. There were no doors and few windows or paintings, all set to the same amber wallpaper and plush rosy carpet as the floor below it. 

Jennifer's hopes fell short and she was about to give up when she saw a singular door, light brown oak with a shiny gold knob, all the way on the left side of the hall. Her hopes began to rise and she couldn't contain her excitement as she dashed towards it, not caring of her hair flying in her face this time around. 

However, just before she could reach it, one area of the floor she lightly stepped on was soft and feeble. Before she knew it, the floor caved in and she watched as it tumbled down the first story, herself just a few millimeters from falling into the gaping hole it had left behind. Jennifer stared down the hole with complete shock, nervously gripping the thick, white railing for dear life. Had she had come any closer, she would've fallen down with the debris and the thought of possibly being trapped under that mess of thick wood and possible concrete shook her to the very core. Her hopes dashed when she noticed just how big the hole was; it was way too wide to ether step over or go around. She'd have to find another route. 

She trudged down the steps and past the table and chairs, shuddering at the huge pile of the second floor the sat next to them. There were no other doors to go through except for the one she opened first; that was her new route.

She wasn't too terribly happy upon seeing the sight of the dark wooden floor, a single rectangular window with pink curtains, a single light latched onto the wall, a single shut oak door with a rusty knob, and a small, pitch black, doorless room across from her. It was hard to picture this sight without hearing the terrified screams of her friends. Jennifer tried not to think about it as she walked through the doorless room first.

To say there wasn't much was an understatement. It had the same color palette as the hall that had led to it; dark, possibly rotting floor, dark blue green peeling wallpaper, a row of shut windows peering out into the darkness of the night with no curtains and smaller windows that resembled a circle cut in half horizontally, with the bottom half missing, resting overhead of them. The only remarkable thing about the room was the large pile of trash and rocks that blocked any possible route passed it. Jennifer pressed her hand against one of the windows, not surprised at how much dust and grime collected on her palm, to open it, but the only thing she felt was the smoothness of the glass.

The lattice's closed outside... 

Wiping her hand on her skirt, she noticed something below, between two windows: a crack in the wall. It looked fairly small, although large enough to fit her head through, and it looked like something was blocking the exit, almost like a piece of wood. Well, that's out for sure. 

Facing the pile of rocks and trash, she sighed and got on her hands and knees, beginning to climb. Dirt and grime stained her hands and skirt as she attempted to climb over the mountain in an attempt to find another way, but alas, all that awaited her was a wall; a dead end. She sighed in defeat and slid her way down the bumps onto her feet. Brushing the dirt and little pieces of garbage off her clothes, she finally noticed a firm dark rock clutched in her right hand; she must've grabbed it on the way down. She shook her head but slipped it into a small pocket that sewn into her skirt anyway. After all, you'd never know when you need a rock. 

Exiting the room, she found herself back in that same damned hallway facing the singular door. Going through that faded door was unavoidable as that was her only route now. Jennifer couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine as she stepped through the door, only to be faced with a row of closed doors with the same color of the room she was just in. Where to start? Her friends could be in any of these rooms!

She started with the first room on her left. To her pleasant surprise, there was a change in both scenery and color. It resembled a living room; looking warm and inviting. The lights were out, but that was an easy fix as she simply flicked them back on with the switch. A large oak shelf of drawers stood next to her, as she accidentally bumped into it. A large white box fell off and landed on the floor with a small thud. Surprisingly, the only object the box seemed to contain was a small, fancy looking key with some dust on it. Jennifer knelt down and picked it up, having already placed the box back up on the shelf.

"West Wing..." She muttered, squinting to read the small engraving on the key. Curiosity peaked and she stuffed the key in her pocket; it might come in handy later. 

Looking around the room, she was happy to see just how nice it looked in comparison to some of the rather off-putting decor in the other rooms she had been in. Next to the shelf, sitting in the corner of the room, was a small oak stool with an even smaller, rather ancient looking television set. Jennifer stared at it and slowly, she reached out and fiddled with the knobs for a bit. The dark; dusty screen flashed static and she quickly turned it off, flipping through a few channels gave her the same result. 

Must be broken, she mused. It didn't really matter to her anyway; she wasn't that much of a TV person. Hanging on the wall above the television set was a large black and white painting of a woman and what looked like a child. Jennifer admired to picture for a second before allowing her mind to drift elsewhere. Sitting in the middle of the room were two light blue plush couches, across from and facing one another. Resting between them was a small, polished oak coffee table. Underneath all of that was a smooth pink oval rug. Hanging overhead was a small, golden and shiny chandelier. A chimney was facing the sofas and table, but there was no fire to warm the place up. Hanging above the chimney was a large photo frame, but it was so dusty and blurred, it was hard to make anything out. The floor was polished wood and smooth, while that wall was covered in yellow wallpaper that looked like it had been there for ages. 

A large square window with long pink curtains sat on the right side of the room. Jennifer ran over to it, relieved not to feel dirt or grime on her hands as she pressed her hands against it. It was pitch black outside. 

"What time is it?" She muttered to herself, shivering and rubbing her hands together. It was pretty cold in this house. 

She looked to her left and, to her shock, there was actually a door there for her to open. A happy smile grew on her face and she hoped that she was getting closer as she ran over to it, her shaky hand grabbing the knob and slowly turning it.

As she walked out the door and shut it behind her, the lights died down and a thick red, shiny substance began to slowly leak out of the eyes, nose, and mouth of the woman in the black and white painting. 

She was now in a small bedroom. The floor and the wall was the same as the last room, but there wasn't as much to behold this time around. There was a dresser resting against the wall on the left side of the room in front of her with a mirror hanging above it. Across from that on the other side of the room, there was a wooden table with a golden bird cage resting atop of it, containing a beautiful exotic looking parrot. There was a small picture hanging on the wall above it, with another much larger painting hanging near a bed. There were two beds, side by side, with a large blue rectangular rug underneath them. Above each of the bed was a lamp that was latched to the wall, with a small painting of a man resting between them on the wall. A small chandelier was hanging on the wall, just like the last room. 

Jennifer examined the beds as she walked over to the dresser. The left bed was nothing but a dirty looking mattress while the right bed had sheets, pillows, and a large red wool blanket. 

"Looks like the left bed isn't used..." She mumbled as she closed her eyes and gripped the edges of the dresser. She stared at herself in the mirror; she wanted to laugh. She was so pathetic she was talking to herself for christ's sake! Her hand bumped into something and she looked down at the smooth surface to see what it was; a small bottle of perfume and a picture lying face down.

She picked up the perfume first, accidentally spritzing some on herself in the process. Coughing and sputtering, Jennifer instantly recognized the scent of roses and lavender.

"Smells like Ms. Mary..." She sighed. The girl just wanted someone to talk to besides herself and this just made her long for the older woman she had come to know as her second mother. She pocketed the perfume, not really knowing why but did so anyway, and reached out for the picture. 

It was cracked and pretty damaged but she could make out the shape of two small children if she squinted. Their faces were blurred and it was hard to see them at all.

"What is this thing?" She muttered as she stared at it until her eyes hurt, as that's when she set it down. She was confused; did Mr. Barrows already have kids? She was told he didn't even have a wife! She stared at herself in the mirror and noticed how disheveled her appearance had become in the last fifteen or so minutes. Her makeup was slightly smudged but it still looked decent but her hair was a mess, sticking up due to static and all in her face. Sighing in annoyance, she went to work. Combing her fingers through her thick tangled looks, she fiddled around until she looked presentable enough. Smiling, she stared at herself in confidence.

That is, until two tan hands crashed through the mirror and found their way to her pale throat. It all happened so fast, Jen had no time to react as she was being strangled. Gasping for air, she clawed at the wrists and thrashed around violently. She was beginning to feel lightheaded and her grip slacked slightly after a few seconds of this. The hands had her in a tight grab and was yanking her towards the mirror by her neck. She dug her heels into the floor in the defiance and she suddenly found herself flying onto her back, the pressure off of her throat. She sucked in the air around her welcomingly as she sat on her knees, rubbing her sore throat. 

Leaning onto the dresser for support, she slowly stood up and stared at herself. The mirror was fine but her throat was decorated with nice, dark bruises. As she lightly traced her fingers over them, wincing at how sensitive they were to touch, a sound alerted her back to her surroundings. It sounded like a squawk, like the one a parrot would make. 

She looked over her shoulder and stared at the beautiful bird, sitting in its cage and snapping at the amber bars. The girl felt a small pang in her chest for the caged animal and, without much common sense, ran over to the table, her fingers toying with the latch in a heartbeat. Soon enough, the birds was flying over her head and she felt proud of herself. Listening close, she noticed the bird was saying something and she tried to figure it out. It sounded like:

"IKILLYOUIKILLYOUIKILLYOUIKILLYOUIKILLYOUIKILLYOU!"

Suddenly, the bird swooped down at her and Jennifer squeaked upon feeling him nip at her scalp. Placing two fingers on the spot he pecked, she was shocked to find a few red spots. The bird swooped back down, still screaming as he mercilessly snapped at her head. Jennifer screamed and covered her head with her arms. She hissed as he began to nick her arms with his sharp beak, tearing into her sleeves and drawing blood. 

She knew this animal was too vicious to be dealt with peacefully and that it had to be put down to prevent this from happening in. At least, that was vaguely similar to what she thought in her panic as she ran to the right bed and snatched up the wool blanket. She watched the bird as it flew in a circle, and lunged at it with the blanket as it drew close. She snatched it up and held it down on the bed, pressing down on the squirming mess hard and not letting go until, finally, it's movements died down. 

Her chest heaved as she struggled to control her breathing. She didn't care that her hair had fallen in her face yet again, the top of her head stung like crazy and the cuts on her arms had already gone numb. She hoped that bird didn't infect her with anything; still, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Yes, he was brutal but he was still an animal, a pet, that she just killed horrifically. Would Mr. Barrows be upset? She hoped not, but even if he was, she still had the marks to prove her excuse. 

She ran out of the room, using the door to her left. Having been a part of two vicious attacks, she didn't want to be in that room anymore. Back in that dark hallway again, she was thankful for the little bit of light there was from the lights hanging on the wall. Looking at the door she just exited out from, she wasn't particularly shocked to find that it was literally right next to the first door she entered when she came through this hallway. Sighing, she rubbed her arms and started for the next door. 

As she gripped the handle, she heard a noise. A noise that made her feel a lot better.

The sound of a shower running.

She threw open the door and was greeted with an blast of warm steam. Coughing and fanning the area with her hand, she looked around the room, despite it being really hard to make out. The floor was large black tiles and shiny, clearly covered in water. There was a clothes rack next to the door and next to that was the bathroom sink, which was nothing remarkable. The small, partly cracked mirror was coated in steam. Jennifer tried the switch, but the lights flashed white like lightening. 

A closed, oak door was in front of her. She swallowed nervously a gripped the handle, steadying herself on the slippery tile. She stepped through as she opened it slowly and quietly, desperately trying not to fall and alert the other person in the room, and therefore make a fool of herself. The was a rather small toilet and next to that was a large shower and tub, with the long pink curtains drawn and water flowing out past the sides. 

She carefully guided her way to the shower and cleared her throat, trying to sound louder than the running water, which sounded like a waterfall.

"Hel-hello?" She meekly cried out, her fingers twiddling. 

There was no answer. 

"It...it's Jennifer. I-is someone th-there?"

No answer.

Jennifer swallowed and reached out with shaky hands, gripping the soaked edges of the curtains. If no one was there, she could at least turn the water off. 

She tugged the curtains open.

She froze; her eyes grew wide and her face paled, her mouth gaping. 

There was a girl, with her hands tied to the shower head. Water was spilling all over the front of her while the water that was filling the tub was up to her waist. She was wearing a light blue gown and her long blonde hair was soaked, all in her face. Jennifer didn't even have to see it to know who this was instantly. 

"L...Lau...ra?"

Drip...

Drip...

Drip...

Drip...

This couldn't be real...this couldn't possibly be real...Laura...the girl she had just seen all bright and happy, if not a little nervous, just a few minutes ago...this...this wasn't Laura...it couldn't be! Just because this girl really, really, looked like her, it-it didn't mean it was her...r-right?

Tears brimmed in Jen's eyes as she slowly reached out to touch her...

...only to yank her hand back when she saw something slowly rise out of the water. It looked sharp and pointed, like a blade, and Jennifer could see her horrified face being reflected in them. Then, there was the handle. They look like scissors; giant, deadly scissors. They were being held by a boy, a very young boy, wearing what looked like a school uniform and a pair of blue short with matching sneakers. On the top of his head with a mess of sandy blonde hair.

To describe his face is impossible. Let's just say, it's a face you could never possibly forget, even in death. And his eyes...they were white and very, very large. 

Jennifer screamed at the top of her lungs as he lunged for her, a hideous smirk on his grotesque face.


End file.
